The objective of the General Clinical Research Center is to provide a high quality physical and intellectual environment in which clinical investigation is conducted with maximum regard for patient welfare and safety. The Center complements and extends the research resources of the College of Medicine, fosters interdisciplinary activity and serve as an educational resource for students, house-staff and faculty. Areas of investigation include women's health, therapy of prostate cancer, bone loss in anorexia, cochlear implants, gene transfer in cystic fibrosis, and homocysteine and atherosclerosis. Neonatal research includes immunologic effects of placental blood transfusions, pharmacokinetics of erythropoietin and the genetics of preeclampsia. The Center also supports multicenter trials evaluating the prevention of type I diabetes, experimental drug therapies in HIV infection, the genetics of alcoholism, treatment of ocular melanoma and medical therapy of prostatic hypertrophy.